Eric Ntube, in-country manager for Seventy Ninth Resources, who is an engineering geologist by profession, explains how sustainable mining is good for business, good for the environment and good for Guinea

Eric Ntube joined Seventy Ninth Resources just over a year and a half ago, but his experience working in the mineral exploration sector spans 16 years.

It was the company’s focus on loyalty, honesty, and reliability that first attracted Eric, because it aligned with his values. Then it was the working culture and commitment to sustainable mining that really sealed the deal for him to join the business.

Eric has always been motivated by ‘doing things differently’ and says that Seventy Ninth Resources is a great example of that.

The value of local knowledge

Eric describes the last 18 months as the most exciting of his career, particularly being able to build a local team from scratch.

By working closely with experienced local geologists in the Republic of Guinea, who are familiar with local and regional geology, the company gets invaluable information from its reconnaissance work that enhances its exploration efforts.

Local knowledge helps the team understand potential risks and impacts, alongside the unique challenges of each region.

This is important when working in remote or difficult-to-access regions, where much of the team’s work is focussed. It requires experience, preparation and tight control over safety and environmental standards. Eric and his team have both local knowledge as well as expertise in geology, a combination that is key to achieving successful mining exploration.

Respecting local communities

Seventy Ninth Resources adopts a listen-first approach in Guinea to engage with communities and build trust, which Eric is passionate about.

He describes the Lusso South Drilling Project during 2023 as one of his most memorable. This particular project stood out for its combination of innovation, collaboration with stakeholders and strong community relations. This led to a secure work environment, trust between the business and the community, and the funding of local initiatives alongside efforts to boost youth employment.

The business also places a deep emphasis on respecting the culture and the local community’s priorities, a commitment that runs deeper than funding and investment. For example, it has pledged to respect sacred land, by building fencing to protect cemeteries and arranging waste collection.

Connecting with local communities is important for security, creating goodwill and fostering partnerships, which is why Eric ensures that the needs and opinions of the local population are always understood and addressed.

Innovation in exploration

Local knowledge is essential for success, but ultimately expertise in mineral exploration alongside cutting-edge techniques are key to unlocking potential for the business and for Guinea.

Eric highlights the importance of innovation. The use of advanced scientific techniques, such as the Ionic Leach geochemical analysis for soil sampling, has given his team an edge in detecting deep mineralisation because it can find subtle elementary associations and haloes.

The assay can detect metallic elements and pathfinder elements, such as arsenic, a common indicator of gold.

These smart exploration methods require investment, but they help the business lower its ongoing costs, improve productivity, and make data-driven decisions.

Alongside its projects in Guinea, Seventy Ninth Resources’ newly acquired copper and gold assets in Ontario, Canada represent steps toward diversifying across different materials and regions, something Eric thinks will help reduce risk and volatility while ensuring long-term stability.

He believes that demand for copper will grow, as it’s an essential component in many of today’s rapidly growing clean energy technologies, although gold remains the focus for the majority of the business’s work.

Building a legacy

Looking ahead, Eric is optimistic about Seventy Ninth Resources’ role in the global natural resources sector, particularly in supporting the green transition.

The primary focus is, of course, to search for mineral deposits to meet global demand. But, in Guinea, the business has found ways to successfully balance sustainable initiatives with its core exploration activities – a rare achievement in this industry.

Eric loves working with a business that fosters a collaborative culture alongside an ambitious growth strategy. He is proud that everyone at Seventy Ninth Resources strives to grow, learn and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

But he acknowledges the challenges he faces in his role, too, especially when mentoring a team with diverse cultural backgrounds. He needs to ‘wear several hats’ and clearly communicate the company culture to a team that thinks differently, but he believes this diversity is essential to success.

Working at Seventy Ninth Resources has been his perfect fit, aligning with both Eric’s career aspirations and his commitment to community development and sustainable mining.